Cheapest places to buy used books online

1. Bookdepository

This site doesn’t have a lot of used books, but their new books are actually much cheaper than the used ones you’d find in online and local bookstores.

It’s actually one of the lesser-known online bookstores that most people have never even heard of.

And that’s why I put it first on this list.

But, that’s not the only reason – the main reason for it being first is that it offers something that every book lover (and shopper in general) loves getting…

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4. Amazon

Amazon is one of the world’s most popular retailers, and with good reason. You can find pretty much any item you could think of on there, its prices are competitive, and shipping is quick.

Overall, it’s a great platform.

Amazon.com has a large collection of used books, ranging from college textbooks to classic fiction and everything in between.

Whether you’re looking for a self-help book to improve your productivity or a children’s book to read to your child before bedtime, you’re sure to find the title you’re looking for within Amazon’s catalog.

In Amazon’s used books section, you can browse popular used titles.

You can also filter the books displayed by choosing a category, like:

Children’s Books

Science & Math

History

Self-Help

Literature & Fiction

What’s great about Amazon is the sheer number of choices thanks to the number of individual sellers that use the platform to sell used textbooks, fictions, non fiction and everything in between.

Another way you can find titles you want is to enter the name of the book you want into the search bar. Amazon will display a list of results for the title that you typed in.

Scroll down the page a little, and on the left side of the results, you should see different options that you can filter results by. Look for where it says “condition”, and then select the “used” option.

6. Thrift Books

At Thrift Books, you can find books at very low prices, and there are often extra money-saving deals and bonuses on offer too.

For example, at the time of writing, you can get 15% off your first order, and get a $5 bonus when you spend $50 or more. Plus, there are deals available like “2 for $7” and “3 for $10”.

Thrift Books is another website with a huge collection of used books online. In fact, it features more than seven million titles!

It’s one of the best places to buy used children’s books, with beloved titles like, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Charlotte’s Webb, Goodnight Moon, Green Eggs and Ham, and The Little Engine that Could available at super low prices.

So, if you’re looking to buy cheap children’s books in bulk, then this could be the website for you.

But, children’s books aren’t all the website has to offer.

On Thrift Books, you can find titles in a range of categories, and genres, like:

Fiction

Young Adult

Health & Fitness

Comics

Edu & Reference

You can search for the title you’re interested in using the search bar on the homepage, or you can browse the site’s categories.

7. Alibris

Alibris started in 1998, making it one of the most well-established marketplaces for used books on this list.

But, it doesn’t just sell books. You’ll find movies and music on there too.

It describes itself as a “media marketplace”.

Alibris features an extensive catalog. In fact, there are more than 150 million books, movies and albums available on the website.

You can find books in a variety of categories and genres, like:

Textbooks

Fiction

Health & Fitness

History

Mystery

On orders worth more than $39, you get free shipping.

What’s great about Alibris is that you also get access to some pretty good deals and discounts. Simply sign up to the site’s email list to get access. At the time of writing, if you sign up, you get a coupon for $5 off.

And, there’s also a “bargains” tab on the homepage. This features sections like “99 cent books” and “discount books”.

On Alibris, you can buy used and new books, and rent them too. So, make sure that once you’ve entered a search term or are browsing a category, like comics, for example, you select the “used” option.

This can be found on the left of the screen, once you’ve scrolled down the page a little, underneath where it says “condition”.

14. Biblio

I personally love this site. No only you can all kinds of books (even very rare one) for really good prices, but the profit for sales goes towards building libraries in rural communities in South America.

So, if you’re in the market for college books, this tool would definitely be worthwhile, otherwise, use one of the price comparison platforms mentioned above.

With Direct Textbook you can instantly get prices for a used book at hundreds of online stores. This saves you so much time because you don’t have to spend time going from store to store to get different prices.

According to the website, you can find used textbook prices that are 75% cheaper than bookstore prices.

Comparing the prices of a book is pretty easy. You can enter a keyword, title, author, publisher or ISBN.

Overall, it’s a good tool if you’re a college student, and want to ensure that you get your textbooks for the lowest price possible.

BookFinder.com

Another excellent platform for finding used books at the best price is BookFinder.com.

The website has a really simple, basic layout, so it’s super easy to use.

Using BookFinder.com, you can compare prices for used books at more than 100,000 sellers.

Again, it’s another tool that you can use to get the lowest price for a book, without having to spend time searching prices at different stores.

With the website, you can save up to 90%.

And, comparing prices is quick and easy too. You can search for the book that you’re interested in by author, title, or ISBN. You can even enter your location and currency to further filter your results.

Affordabook.com

Using the website, you can find the best prices for used books, including both regular books and textbooks.

What’s really useful about Affordabook.com is its Watched List feature. With this tool, you can set up a price alert for the book that you’re interested in. When the book meets the price that you want, you receive an email alert, which includes a link to where you can purchase the book.

It’s another good platform for finding books at low prices.

Used books near me

Okay, so now you know some of the best online platforms and tools for buying cheap books online.

But, you might be wondering:

“How can I find cheap books near me?” or “Where can I find used bookstores near me?”

Well, you’re not alone.

Sure, the Internet is a great place to find books at bargain prices. But what if you actually want the experience of visiting a real, brick and mortar store?

Many people prefer to buy their books in person.

Fortunately, there are tons of used bookstores that you can visit to buy books in person, as well as tools for finding these stores.

Cheap books near me

First, let’s take a look at a few examples of local bookstores in a few major cities.

We’ve put together a list of places where you can buy used books in person.

18. Strand Bookstore

Where to find it: 828 Broadway, New York, NY 10003

If you live in the New York City area, then you should visit Strand Bookstore.

It’s a really popular bookstore, specializing in new, used and rare books.

The store features an impressive 18 miles of books!

You can find tons of used books in there, spanning almost all genres.

19. Myopic Bookstore

Where to find it: 1564 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60622

Myopic Bookstore is an award-winning, tri-level bookstore located in Chicago. So, if you live in the area, it’s definitely worth a visit.

The store, which specializes in used books, boasts 70,000 titles!

So, there are plenty of books to choose from, in a wide variety of genres and categories.

20. Angel City Bookstore and Gallery

Where to find it: 218 Pier Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90405

Located in Santa Monica, California, the Angel City Bookstore and Gallery is an excellent place to shop for used books.

Not only does it carry an extensive collection of cheap used books, it also features artwork. It also sells CDs and vinyl. It’s one to check out if you are in the area.

21. Kaboom Books

Where to find it: 3116 Houston Ave, Houston, TX 77009

If you live in Houston, Texas, then you might want to check out Kaboom Books for discount books. It’s a used bookstore where you can find a great selection of secondhand books, at inexpensive prices.

It features a huge selection of books. In fact, the store has books up to the ceiling!

Bonus: 22. The Book House in Dinkytown

Where to find it: 1316 4th St SE #201, Minneapolis, MN 55414

The Book House in Dinkytown is a bookstore located in Minneapolis. So, if you live in the area, and are looking for a used bookstore near you, then it’s certainly worth a visit.

The store, which has been around since 1976, impressively enough, boasts a large collection of books.

It has more than 40,000 books in-store and another 40,000 in its archives.